


In the Marrow of Your Bones

by slstmaraudersjple



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dubious Consent, F/M, I think?, Just lots of Angst, Mildly Dubious Consent, Mind Games, Non-Graphic Physical Torture, Pregnant!Caroline, Psychological Torture, Writing this made me sad, but he also kind of is, caroline is hurting a LOT, elijah is family oriented, klaus basically has a lot of apologizing to do, klaus tries to do the right thing, minor(?) character death, silas is a bastard, silas is creepy, silas is kind of obsessed with caroline, sort of a happy ending, the baby is not named hope, the one where klaus kind of isn't at fault, things get kind of dark, trigger warning for attempted self-harm, trigger warning for threats of suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:22:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24501532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slstmaraudersjple/pseuds/slstmaraudersjple
Summary: He knew he was doing the right thing. But why was doing the right thing so damn hard? In which Klaus hurts Caroline in a misguided attempt to protect her, but Silas has other plans in store for Caroline.
Relationships: Caroline Forbes & Silas, Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson
Comments: 25
Kudos: 128
Collections: However Long It Takes





	1. In Your Bones

**Author's Note:**

> ***This was first posted to FFN under the same username.***
> 
> Warnings: psychological torture and mind games, non-graphic mentions of physical torture. Potential trigger warnings for threats of self-harm and suicide.

He could deal with threats made against him.

But they made threats against _Caroline_.

The situation in New Orleans was complicated enough that he still couldn’t differentiate between friend and foe. He didn’t know who his allies were, which people he could trust.

He inwardly cursed for letting himself get caught up in the beauty and splendor that was Caroline. They’d had a blissful three months; she had shown up unexpectedly after her first year wrapped up, shyly asking if his offer to show her New Orleans was still open.

It was, and he did. And little by little, he was able to coax her out of her shell. Being with Caroline Forbes was an _experience_ ; even though Klaus was a thousand years old, he didn’t think that he would even begin to tire of her in another thousand.

But their time was up. He had to send her away, back to Mystic Falls, to be with her family. For her own safety. And yet again, she managed to surprise him as she stood before him.

“I love you,” she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes.

He refused to look at her. Just hearing the hurt in her voice and the hitch in her breathing that told her she was fighting back tears nearly undid him. But he steeled his heart, forced a cruel smirk onto his face, and turned around and said mildly, “I never did.” He casually waved a hand, gesturing between the two of them as he continued, “And as fun as this all was, sweetheart, I’m bored now. I’m finished with you.”

Uncertainty on her features, Caroline looked like she was debating how to respond. He interrupted her before she could decide, inwardly hating himself for the words he was about to day. But he forced himself to shrug and say patronizingly, as if he were speaking to a child, “Like you said so yourself, you’re nothing special. You’ve always been the second choice. You were so very easy to tempt, and it was amusing to use you to drive a wedge between your friends. Build a girl up, let her believe she’s something special, and break her heart. My brother and I had a bet, and it looks like I’ve won.”

That did it. The heartbreak on her face, the recoil from his words as she flinched, and the scent of her tears flooded him. He forced himself to remain impassive as she gave him one last lingering glance. “I never want to have anything to do with you or your family ever again.” She finally whispered, her voice so raw and vulnerable that it almost broke his resolve. But then she left, closing the door behind her.

He waited until he couldn’t hear her anymore, and then he gave into his building rage. He threw things across the room, swept things off his desk, overturned furniture and smashed it into the floor.

Nothing helped.

When he finally marginally calmed down, he checked the guest room where Caroline had been staying in. She had left everything behind – the drawings he’d done of her, the jewelry, the dresses, miscellaneous small gifts and tokens of his affections. She didn’t take anything with her, not even her clothes, and something in his gut twisted at the clear meaning and implications of her actions.

Her scent lingered in the room, in the air and in the bedding and in her belongings, and he found himself gently closing the door and locking it, unable and unwilling to lose the last pieces he had left of her. He ordered his hybrids and household staff to not touch the room before slowly making his way to his studio.

Shortly after he found himself sketching yet another portrait of Caroline – the tears on her face, the hurt that he inflicted on her would forever haunt him – he received a text from one of the hybrids he had assigned to tail her. The hybrid dutifully reported that he watched Caroline make her way to the airport and compel herself onto the next flight back to Mystic Falls. Her plane had just taken off and was scheduled to land in Mystic Falls in six hours.

He knew he was doing the right thing. This would keep Caroline safe. He still didn’t approve of her friends back home, but even they were preferable to the monsters that roamed New Orleans. In the meanwhile, he would send a hybrid army to Mystic Falls to watch over her until he finished his business in New Orleans and could make it there himself to attempt to make amends.

Why was doing the right thing so fucking hard?

God, doing the right thing downright _sucked_.

* * *

Caroline didn’t bother taking anything with her when she left NOLA. She’d been tempted to, but she knew the memories would be too painful. So she’d left everything behind. Klaus had made his stance painfully clear, and she didn’t want anything that would remind her of him. She figured he’d throw out her things or burn them or something.

She went straight home, ashamed of the judgment she might face from her friends. She wouldn’t be able to bear it if any of them gave her an “I told you so” response.

She could already imagine Damon’s scathing response and Matt’s and Elena’s pitying glances. Worse, the judgmental looks from Bonnie and Stefan… and Tyler.

By the time she showed up at her mom’s house and hesitantly knocked on the door, she was a crying mess.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Liz’s tone was concerned, her expression worried.

“I’m so stupid,” she sobbed, throwing herself into her mom’s arms. Liz wrapped her arms around Caroline, holding her as she let her daughter speak. “I was so stupid to think that someone might want me for me.”

“You’re not stupid sweetheart,” Liz responded softly. “You’re beautiful and smart and brave. If he can’t see that, then it’s his loss.”

“It hurts so much,” Caroline continued crying. She couldn’t help the tears that continued to fall as she confessed, “Everyone said he’d hurt me, and I didn’t want to believe them. I was stupid enough to let myself be charmed by him, and then I fell in love with him. And he laughed and told me he doesn’t love me and that it was just a game to him.”

Her mother let her cry for twenty-four hours before she intervened.

“Why don’t we go on a road trip?” Liz suggested.

Surprised by the randomness of the suggestion, Caroline asked suspiciously, “Aren’t you a little busy being the town sheriff and all?”

Was there a new supernatural plot that she hadn’t been told about? She tried to rack her brain to recall her text message and phone conversations with Bonnie and Elena and Stefan, and couldn’t think of anything huge. Caroline was left with the conclusion that maybe she was in the Twilight Zone and that Liz Forbes genuinely wanted to help her daughter cope with heartbreak.

Liz shrugged. “I do have some vacation days saved up. And we haven’t exactly had a lot of mother-daughter bonding time with everything that’s happened. Now is as good a time as any to get away for a bit, _and_ you’ve been pushing for me to take a vacation in years.”

Caroline sighed. “When do we leave?”

Her mom grinned at her. “How fast can you pack?”

* * *

They hadn’t even been out of Mystic Falls for two hours before her phone rang. Caroline checked the caller ID.

_Damon._

She initially hesitated on answering the call, but figured that it was serious if Damon was calling her, of all people. “What’s up?”

“Barbie,” the older Salvatore bit out. “Where are you?”

“I’m going on a road trip with mom. She suggested that it’d be a good idea to get out of town for a bit.”

“Caroline,” Damon said slowly. “We didn’t know how to tell you, but Liz is dead. Your mom was killed three weeks ago by Silas.”

Cold fear flooded Caroline’s veins as she looked over to her mother. As she watched, Liz’s features slowly morphed into… Klaus.

“Hello, sweetheart,” Silas-Klaus smirked.

“Silas,” she whispered.

The phone slipped out of her hand.

* * *

When his phone rang and he saw that it was Stefan calling, he initially ignored the call.

Stefan called again, and he continued to ignore the call.

Finally, his phone lit up with a voicemail alert, and he jabbed at the buttons on his phone to listen to the voicemail message.

“Klaus, I know we’re not on the best of terms right now but now is really not a good time to ignore me,” Stefan said, his voice sounding harried. Klaus could almost imagine the younger Salvatore running his hand through his hair. “Call me back as soon as you can. Caroline’s missing. We think Silas took her.”

* * *

“This is most interesting,” Silas-Klaus murmured.

“What are you talking about?” Caroline responded warily.

He smiled at her. “I’m the First Witch to ever exist. I’m powerful enough to do simple magic. And you, sweet Caroline, are currently carrying what will most certainly be the first of its kind.”

“Again, what are you talking about?” Caroline responded, annoyed. “Like, is there some kind of supernatural STD that I should know about? Because if there is, and I have it, I’m gonna be pretty pissed.”

He looked at her with a measure of amusement as he responded indulgently, “I’m not sure what a STD is, but I’m sure it’s irrelevant. You’re with child, Caroline. The Original Hybrid’s child.”

* * *

“I can’t track her,” Davina said with exasperation.

“You’re in a room full of her things. How could you not find her?”

The witch looked at him, annoyance in her voice as she responded, “Something’s blocking me. Another witch, powerful magic, an ancient or dark magical artifact. Or all of the above. Take your pick.”

“So you can’t even narrow down her location to a state or country or continent?”

This time, Davina didn’t bother to hide her irritation. “Something’s blocking her from being tracked entirely.” At the growing rage on Klaus’ face, she added, “Look, I’ll try again every 12 hours as long as I have access to her things. If you can me get a sample of her blood, that might help amplify the spell.”

* * *

Caroline laughed humorlessly. “I guess you haven’t heard the news – he doesn’t give a shit about me. So whatever leverage you think you have, you don’t. I’m going to die along with this alleged baby.”

Silas-Klaus’ lips twitched upwards as he murmured, “Is that so, sweetheart? The mother of my child?” She flinched as his lips brushed against her ear, and he smirked triumphantly as he commented, “Whether it’s true or not, it leaves you so very vulnerable seeing as you’re in love with him. Don’t worry, I didn’t read your mind. It’s clearly written on your face. But I suppose that if the Mikaelson family truly has no interest in you or the baby, then I’ll be keeping you, Caroline.”

This time, fingers twisted in her hair and yanked, forcing her head up as blunt teeth sank into her neck.

Caroline screamed.

* * *

Klaus had gravely miscalculated, and now Caroline would pay the price for his lack of (better?) judgment.

It had been two weeks since Caroline had gone missing, and the best efforts of all the witches between New Orleans and Mystic Falls could not yield results.

Until one day, a package was delivered to the Mikaelson home, addressed to Klaus.

He had a witch check the package for traps before ripping it open, pulling out… a fistful of golden strands of hair, splattered with the smallest traces of recently dried blood. The blood was at least a day old, perhaps two.

Wordlessly, he passed Caroline’s hair over to Davina, who took it into the next room to perform another locator spell.

Klaus looked inside the package. There was an envelope, and at the bottom of the box was a video camera.

He opened the envelope first and pulled out…

_An ultrasound photo._

The photo had yesterday’s date stamped onto the bottom right corner, and the note to the left of it indicated that the fetus in the photo was only five weeks old.

Equal parts confused and dreading what the last item in the box would hold, he set the ultrasound aside and turned on the video camera.

_He saw himself._

More specifically, he saw Silas, disguised as himself.

“Klaus Mikaelson,” the First Witch addressed the camera, his voice eerily identical to Klaus’ own voice. “I suppose I should thank you for my new pet.”

The camera turned to reveal a figure with matted blonde hair, slumped over and chained to the wall. Silas reached over and grabbed a fistful of hair, tilting the head up to reveal Caroline’s face. Her eyes were glazed over with pain, and there was a half-healed wound on her neck.

As Klaus watched, the wound seemed to heal right before his eyes, even though Caroline looked pale and half-starved.

“Say hello, sweetheart,” Silas-Klaus cooed. “The baby will see this someday.”

Caroline recoiled, fear visible on her face as she half snarled, half sobbed, “Stay away from me!”

Silas-Klaus laughed tauntingly. “You can stay in denial all you want, love, but you saw and heard the results from the doctor yourself. You’re five weeks pregnant, and in eight short months, you’re going to give me the most powerful tribrid child to ever exist.”

Silas-Klaus turned the camera back to himself and said to the camera, “Perhaps if you’re lucky, I’ll allow you to say goodbye before I kill her and take your child with me.”

Caroline let out a muffled sob in the background, as if she had been trying to hide her tears. Upon hearing it, Silas turned back to her with a look of cold amusement as he said, “Oh don’t cry, sweetheart. I’ll take good care of you. By the time I’m done, you won’t miss the real him.”

The camera went black.

* * *

Silas, who stubbornly and torturously delighted in maintaining Klaus’ form, fed her surprisingly well. He stocked a rather large variety of food in the house that she could choose from, and appeared to take note of things she liked and bought more.

He also unchained her from the wall, but kept her trapped with a magical ankle bracelet with a modified boundary spell that prevented her from leaving the confines of the house she was trapped in. It also kept her from being tracked by magical means.

Silas-Klaus became suspiciously polite, almost like Elijah. He didn’t hurt her again, but he liked to touch her belly. The only clothing he supplied her with were loose and shapeless Mumus in a variety of colors and patterns, but at least they covered her, and she was loathe to admit it, but they were also comfortable.

At three months pregnant, she had just the smallest baby bump, and that was when she knew she could no longer deny the fact that she was pregnant.

With Klaus’ baby.

She was currently nursing a broken heart and she was also pregnant with a child whose father was more likely to murder them than to save them, all because of her reckless naivety. And on top of that, she was being held captive by a psychotic witch who was probably going to murder her as soon as she gave birth and take off with her baby.

She was beyond fucked.

* * *

_Caroline was pregnant with his child._

Caroline and his unborn child were currently being held captive by Silas somewhere that no one could find.

And she believed that he didn’t return her feelings. Based on the history of the Mystic Falls gang, she probably didn’t think that anyone would care to look for her. She probably resigned herself to being tortured by another psycho, doomed to forever be collateral damage. Or worse, she might have already resigned herself to death by Silas’ hands.

That feeling didn’t settle well with him. It made him feel sick to his stomach.

_He did this to her._

This was all his fault.

He was responsible for Caroline getting kidnapped by Silas. Granted, the First Witch had been disguised as her mother, but it was his fault that Caroline had been so vulnerable in the first place as to not notice that she was in danger until it was too late.

God, couldn’t he do anything right?

* * *

Instead of dealing with a myriad of phone calls, text messages, and voicemails, Klaus ordered the Salvatores to round up the Bennett witch and the doppelganger, and he had the four of them flown out to New Orleans.

The Bennett witch had been the most useful. After talking with both Davina and Freya, she consulted the Spirits.

After a couple days, she received a response. “They say that yours and Caroline’s baby will bring balance to nature. Silas must be stopped, and there is a way to kill him permanently.”

Klaus, already suspecting the solution, stated, “The tombstone with the calcified blood of Quetsiyah.”

Bonnie nodded. “I’ve located the coven that has it. I can try to persuade them to hand it over with the Spirits on my side. If not… well, I guess that’s where you come in. But the Spirits insist on having your brother do the honors.” At that, Bonnie gestured towards Elijah.

The older Mikaelson stepped forward with a nod. “Then it appears that we have an accord.”

* * *

The situation with Silas was remarkable in how unremarkable things ultimately went down.

Freya, Davina, and Bonnie hdecided to channel the power of three covens, along with three Original vampires (Rebekah, Elijah, and Kol) in order to overcome the spells that hid Caroline.

The locator spell revealed that the First Witch had hidden Caroline somewhere on the outskirts of New Orleans, less than thirty minutes from the Mikaelson home. Klaus was absolutely furious by the fact that Caroline had been so close this entire time.

As expected, Silas greeted them, gloating. He still wore Klaus’ form.

From the shadows, the Mikaelson siblings provided the distraction. Elijah and Klaus rushed forward and snapped each of his legs, while Rebekah drove a series of sharp knives into his chest. Nothing that would be more than a mild inconvenience. Still, Silas gave a shout of rage, pain evident in his eyes.

Davina and the other French Quarter witches surrounded the First Witch, chanting as they cast a variety of spells to contain him.

“It’s too late,” Silas gasped, victory gleaming in his eyes as he looked at Klaus. “I’ve won. She’ll never trust you again. She’ll never come to you the way you wanted her to. She’ll never be able to look at you without wondering if it’s me. Your little mistake will cost you _everything_ , Hybrid.”

When the containment spells were complete, Bonnie stepped forward, holding the tombstone with the calcified blood of Quetsiyah, fashioned into a stake. Davina drew a salt circle around the containment spell, while Bonnie used magic to drive the magically enhanced stake into his chest.

Silas screamed as he burst into flames, his screams furious at first, but then they morphed into laughter. Manical, psychotic, insane laughter that was directed at Klaus.

“It doesn’t matter if you kill me!” He shouted over the growing flames, “I won!”

And then it was over. The flames claimed the First Witch in a fiery inferno that consumed his entire body and then warped out of existence, leaving no trace of the first doppelganger or the calcified blood of Quetsiyah.

* * *

As soon as Silas disappeared, and the barrier spells on the house where Caroline was being kept died with him, Klaus rushed in. He used his enhanced senses to burst into the room where he heard two heartbeats. It took everything he had to remain at the door, to not lunge towards her to pull her into his arms.

At five months pregnant, with a small baby bump, Caroline was still as beautiful as he remembered. Perhaps even more so. He allowed himself a small moment to do a quick physical inspection, and he was relieved that at least she appeared to be physically unharmed.

He had some apologizing and making up to do. But first, he had to convince her that he wasn’t Silas.

“Caroline,” he said softly. “It’s me, love.”

She shook her head. “Stop playing games. I won’t play. I won’t do this.”

“It’s not a game,” he insisted.

“Everything’s a game to you,” she spat out, one hand placed protectively over her belly. Her other hand blindly scrambled behind her, reaching for something.

He cautiously took another step forward, frustration building as he tried to figure out how to prove to her that he wasn’t the First Witch.

She pulled out a wooden stake and held it in front of her. “Stop, or I’ll kill myself and the baby.”

He froze.

Caroline’s eyes were wild, tears streaming down her face, and her whole body was shaking. The wooden stake she held in her hand was more than enough to drive through her heart, and he wasn’t entirely sure that he could stop her before she injured herself or her – _their_ – baby.

“You don’t mean that,” he found himself whispering, horror flooding him at the thought of her following through on her threat.

She shook her head, positioning the stake so that its jagged tip rested against her chest, pointing towards her heart. “You said it yourself – you’ll kill me as soon as I give birth. You’ll steal my baby and use them for your own selfish gains. _I’d rather kill us both than let you do that._ ”

He believed her. Right now, Caroline was a scared mother whose fierce maternal instinct drove her desire to protect her unborn child at all costs.

_He couldn’t lose them._

“Caroline,” he whispered, holding his hands out with his palms facing up. He sank to his knees, keeping his gesture as open and non-threatening as he could, struggling to keep his voice soft and reassuring. “I’m not Silas. I’m here to rescue you. I’ve brought an army of witches, as well as my siblings and your useless friends from Mystic Falls, to kill him. Silas is dead, Caroline. If you don’t believe me, why don’t you step outside and see for yourself?”

A flicker of hope passed through her features before it was replaced by doubt and skepticism. “You’re lying,” she whispered, her eyes wide. “You always _lie_.”

From the open window behind her, Klaus could see Elijah standing quietly in the shadows. His older brother gestured to the window in a silent suggestion, and Klaus hesitated for a moment before giving his older brother permission with the most miniscule of nods. He knew that Elijah would never do anything to endanger Caroline or their unborn child.

“I did,” he confessed, interrupting her when she opened her mouth to respond as he quickly added, “I lied to you about my feelings towards you. It’s been something I’ve regretted ever since. I wanted nothing more than to chase after you and apologize for my cruel words, sweetheart. But then I learned that Silas took you and I feared I would never see you again.”

“Stop,” Caroline said, the edges of fear tinting her voice. “You’re lying.”

“I don’t know how to prove to you that I’m not Silas,” Klaus admitted, moving to stand.

 _“STOP LYING!”_ She screamed, inching backwards. As she backed towards the open window, Elijah quickly reached in and wrapped his hands around her neck, making a deft twist as he delicately snapped her neck.

Klaus lunged forward to catch Caroline’s unconscious body before she hit the floor, cradling her still form as he snatched the stake from her limp fingers and flung it away. He forced himself to listen to the sound of the baby’s heartbeat, relief flooding him when the heartbeat remained steady.

He gathered her close, holding her tight. Caroline was safe now, along with their child, and he intended to keep it that way.

* * *

**_TBC…_ **


	2. In Your Marrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***This was first posted to FFN under the same username.***
> 
> Warnings: psychological torture and mind games, non-graphic mentions of physical torture. Potential trigger warnings for threats of self-harm and suicide.
> 
> So I realized belatedly that this is the darkest fic I’ve ever written. Please accept my belated apologies. Poor Caroline. Also poor Klaus, but Caroline has a TON of stuff to work through. From Caroline’s POV, Klaus is still Silas. She doesn’t believe that Silas is truly dead (yet). Rest assured, Silas is absolutely, definitely, truly, infinitely dead. He will not be coming back to life. 
> 
> Also, for concerned readers, Silas is NOT the father; he didn’t secretly impregnate Caroline or rape her or anything of the sort. Klaus is 100000% the baby daddy.

Caroline woke up in a soft bed.

A familiar bed.

She recognized her surroundings immediately. This was her guest room when she had been in New Orleans.

But… this couldn’t be real.

_It had to be a trick._

She threw open the windows, felt the warmth and sunlight filter in.

Suspicious, she pulled her daylight ring off her finger.

The moment her skin began to burn, the door to her bedroom slammed open, and a blur of movement forced the ring back onto her finger as she was picked up and moved to her bed, surprisingly gently deposited onto the mattress.

“What was that just now?” Silas-Klaus hissed, his eyes dark, gold bleeding into blue. He neatly trapped her between his arms as he braced himself over her.

“I’m dreaming,” Caroline whispered, fear and uncertainty crawling down her spine. “I have to wake up.”

“I can assure you, sweetheart, that this is very real. And I would prefer that _our_ child not be placed in any more unnecessary danger.”

“I don’t believe you.” The words came automatically, but they were the truth. The only words she ever believed from Silas, the only certainty she had, was that she was only useful for his amusement so long as she carried the baby within her. The moment she gave birth to the child, he’d kill her and be done with her.

Silas-Klaus closed his eyes, his forehead wrinkled in frustration. He was quiet for a moment before he opened them and said, “I’m sure you recognize this room and its contents. You’re welcome to explore the rest of this estate for further proof. You can explore the whole damn city if that’s what it will take for you to understand where you are, Caroline. Silas is dead. You are no longer bound by him.”

This was a trick.

_It had to be a trick._

He must have seen the doubt and hesitation on her face, because he sighed and leaned back, standing upwards before reaching for her. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist as he tugged her up and out of the room.

Dread began to settle in her bones as she recognized the familiar walls and décor of the Mikaelson home… in New Orleans.

Oh god, this was such a good illusion.

It had to be.

Klaus didn’t care about her, and Silas liked messing with her head. It was why he would only take on Klaus’ form.

This was such a cruel trick, and she couldn’t fathom why he would do something like this.

But he would, just because he _could_ , and it amused him to see her hurting.

“Stop,” she whispered tearfully as she tried to free her wrist from his grasp. She was unable to suppress her growing fear and agitation as she demanded, “Why are you doing this? I don’t want to play. Please stop.”

He let her go, turning around to look at her. “Caroline,” he started softly.

She took several steps backward, putting distance between them as she wrapped her arms around her stomach, trying to shield her baby as she begged, “Please. Just stop. I know you’re going to kill me as soon as I give birth.”

_I’ll do my best to protect you_ , she silently vowed to her baby.

Silas-Klaus watched her with a stunned expression on his face, a myriad of emotions that she couldn’t quite decipher. But they were always false – false concern, false hurt, false promises of love and protection.

Her heart _ached_. Her, standing in her former bedroom in New Orleans, and him standing so close to her.

_But none of this was real._

* * *

He hated seeing Caroline so scared and fearful of him. The way she recoiled away from his touch, the pain in her voice when she begged him to leave her alone, didn’t sit well with him. It twisted him up on the inside.

Normally, seeing that same look on just about anyone else would bring him a measure of satisfaction and amusement. But it was a look he never wanted to see from Caroline. Never again.

Klaus never hated Silas more. He didn’t think he could hate anyone more than he hated Mikael, but Caroline proved herself to be his exception yet again. But now, standing at the doorway to her room, seeing the hurt and pain and heartbreak that was so visibly written on her face, he thought that his self-hatred and self-loathing might rival his hatred of Silas.

_You did this to her_ , he told himself.

_You ruin everything you touch_ , Mikael’s voice taunted him.

_I’ve won_ , Silas’ voice whispered victoriously.

* * *

Miraculously, Silas-Klaus left her alone.

Caroline knew that this small reprieve wouldn’t come without a cost – there was always a cost. He’d probably want to lay in bed next to her, hold her close, whisper sweet nothings into her ears.

_“You’re living proof that vampires can carry children to term.” Silas told her one night. “Magic might have intervened in order to make it possible, but you could have more than one child if you wanted. You could have a vampire-witch hybrid.” Caroline recoiled as Silas-Klaus tenderly grazed his fingertips over her belly, continuing, “You might even find yourself looking forward to it. I could make you feel so good, sweetheart. I know what you like, and how you like things.”_

_“I would never,” she hissed, her fangs sliding out._

_“For now,” he calmly agreed. “We’ll see how you feel in a short few months. I imagine that you will find motherhood preferable to death. And I know that you’ve always wanted two children, Caroline. I could make your dreams come true. Think about it. And while you’re thinking, how are those pregnancy hormones treating you, love? Would you care for some assistance in de-stressing?”_

_With that, Silas-Klaus finally, mercifully, left her alone._

_Caroline sat on her bed, wrapping her arms around her belly, feeling sick to her stomach. Silas… wanted to keep her as his blood mare. She couldn’t – wouldn’t – allow it to happen. She wasn’t sure she could stop him if he decided to force himself on her, but she’d be damned if she just rolled over and let him do as he wished. She’d fight him tooth and nail, try to kill him with everything she had. She looked around her room, trying to rack her brain for ideas on what she could use as makeshift weapons._

_She would protect her baby._

_At all costs._

* * *

The videotape had been untitled. But it was the only videotape found in the entire house, and it looked identical to the videotape that Silas had sent him months ago.

This time, he waited to watch it in the privacy of his office.

He expected another scene of Silas torturing Caroline while wearing his form.

What he saw was worse.

* * *

_“Sweetheart,” Silas-Klaus greeted cheerfully as he came back into her room. “Your price for my generosity this time is a kiss. I want a kiss.”_

_“Go to hell,” Caroline snarled in response._

_He smiled at her, amusement on his features even though his tone booked no room for argument. “You can choose to kiss me, Caroline, or I will kiss you. Your choice. Be thankful I’m giving you one at all.”_

_Her eyes widened in alarmed, her heartbeat speeding up in her panic and fear. She stepped backwards and found her back against a wall. Silas appeared to take her silence as a response, reading the expression on her face with a measure of curiosity before he smiled again, stepping forward. “To be honest, I was hoping it would come to this. I think you’ll enjoy this, sweetheart.”_

_He closed the space between them in a couple steps, easily grasping her wrists with one hand and tugging her to him. She struggled, and he simply reached forward and grasped her chin with his other hand, bent his head down, and slanted his lips over hers._

_For a moment, Caroline’s mind went blank. She was kissing Klaus. Klaus’ lips were on hers, his fingers were tangled in her hair, his touch on her skin, and it all felt so_ good _._

_She momentarily forgot where she was and who she was with as she let out a small moan, and she felt him smile against her lips as she eagerly kissed him back. He released his hold on her wrists, and she placed her hands on his face, pulling him closer. He slid his hands to her waist, one hand sliding down to her hip, and she rocked into his other hand with a muffled groan as desire began to pool between her thighs._

_“Klaus,” she sighed against his lips, soft and pliant in his arms. He placed his hands on her ass, picking easily picking her up and carrying her to the bed, laying her down as he crouched over her. He braced his forearms on either side of her head as he continued to kiss her._

_Klaus, Klaus, Klaus. Her mind was a pleasurable haze, a blissful contentment that she hadn’t felt in a long time…_

_And then Klaus pulled back, smiling at her with knowing amusement, and icy reality crashed into her as she let out a horrifying gasp._

She’d just made out with Silas.

_She shoved him away and scooted to the edge of the bed, bracing herself against the headboard as she breathed harshly, trying to collect herself._

_Silas-Klaus responded with that same amused smile as he commented, “Don’t worry, love. I won’t judge you. Like I said, you might even find yourself enjoying our time together.”_

_And then he left._

_She waited until she couldn’t hear him anymore before she began to cry._

_She hated herself for the way she responded to him, the way her body reacted._

_The reality of the situation was that_ Klaus wasn’t here _. He’d told her that he didn’t care about her. That she’d just been a game to him._

_In the farthest corner in the back of her mind, a voice whispered: would it really be so bad to give in?_

* * *

The first emotion he felt was overwhelming anger. How _dare_ Silas use his form to take advantage of Caroline? Then he was flooded by hurt. It hurt him to see Silas kissing Caroline while wearing his form, to see her respond so enthusiastically in her desire for him.

But then he remembered the look of horror and shame on her face when she realized what she’d done, her tears after Silas had left.

She had sighed _his_ name. She had thought that Silas had been _Klaus_. The realization did little to soothe his wounded pride, but it helped.

_She still had feelings for him._

He still had a chance.

* * *

Caroline cautiously sat by her door after Silas-Klaus left.

She strained her senses, surprised when she heard the sound of footsteps.

_Multiple_ footsteps.

Multiple footsteps meant multiple people. Caroline hesitantly opened the door – Silas-Klaus saw no reason to lock her in her room when she couldn’t leave the house, so she was given free reign. She didn’t see why he would change that now.

She closed the door again, and for the first time noticed that she wasn’t wearing a Mumu. Someone – Silas-Klaus? – had dressed her in a comfortable nightgown, but it wasn’t one of the dresses that she’d gotten used to. She took a quick peek in her closet and was surprised to find a variety of comfortable looking clothing, including pajama pants, sweaters, shirts, and other dresses that were more to her taste.

Surprised, she picked out a cozy fleece pajama set – stretchy pants and a button-down shirt in flannel print. Then she carefully made her way down the stairs. She’d chosen to go barefoot, as she wasn’t sure who Silas-Klaus had invited over for company. There was less chance of her tripping while wearing shoes if she didn’t wear them at all.

The only people he would ever invite over were either witches he trusted or the OBGYN. She never interacted with any of his witches, directly or indirectly. She only knew there was a male and female because of the sounds of their voices, and they were always gone by the time she came downstairs for her meals. The OBGYN came like clockwork – every week, for 15-20 minutes – and never made conversation with her aside from asking her a couple routine questions and telling her that the baby was healthy. Silas-Klaus was always there; he never left her alone with company.

Caroline was wary of the fact that she could hear multiple people. Based on the differences in their heartrate, there were too many people to count, and there was a combination of humans and vampires.

She made her way to the kitchen for a blood bag. Maybe if she ignored them, they would ignore her?

She had just found the blood bags when footsteps made their way into the kitchen.

“Caroline?” A soft voice called.

She turned and dropped the blood bag in her hand, her eyes widening in surprise as she recognized the person. “Bonnie?”

Bonnie, standing next to Silas-Klaus.

Silas couldn’t possibly be two people at once, right? Unless they were illusions?

Or… it could be worse. Had Bonnie succumbed to Expression magic again and was now one of Silas’ witches?

She cautiously took a step back, almost slipping on the blood that had splattered when she dropped the blood bag, but she managed to grip the countertop to keep her balance. She saw the concern in Silas-Klaus’s eyes as he started to take a step forward, and the way he visibly restrained himself from touching her.

Bonnie’s expression was pained as she also stepped forward, but stopped herself as well. “Care…” the Bennett witch repeated. “Are you alright?”

She didn’t have the chance to respond as another person stepped into the room – someone she also recognized.

Elijah.

Was this… real?

The older Mikaelson’s gaze focused on the blood splattered on the floor and up Caroline’s legs, before he met her gaze and politely said, “Miss Forbes, it is good to see you up and about. Someone will clean up the blood. Do you require assistance with cleaning up the blood on your person?”

Caroline blinked for a moment before she hesitantly shook her head to indicate no. Elijah seemed to accept her answer, simply nodding as he passed her a kitchen towel.

She stuttered out her thanks and quickly wiped down her legs, ignoring the mess for once. Then she grabbed another blood bag and made a hasty retreat, while trying to avoid the concerned eyes watching her.

* * *

He knew he shouldn’t have, but he couldn’t help himself as he followed her back to her room. He needed to make sure she was alright, that she would rest. He stayed outside the door to her room, keeping his distance.

“Sweetheart,” he started, but she interrupted him.

“What’s the price that I’m to pay this time?” She demanded.

His eyebrows furrowed. “Whatever do you mean, sweetheart?”

“You’re never kind. Your acts of kindness always come with a price. So what do you want? To choose which dress I wear today? To lay next to me in bed and torture me with sweet words? To make me dinner and attempt to woo me?”

Silas-Klaus’ eyes flashed with fury for a moment, gold bleeding into blue, and a dark and menacing expression briefly crossed his face before it disappeared. He closed his eyes for just a moment, blinking, and when he opened them again, his eyes were his usual blue-gray, the expression on his face polite.

“What I want…” he said quietly, “is an impossibility. What I want is something that I foolishly took for granted, believing that I would have an opportunity to make amends. What I want, Caroline, is your paramount safety, your infectious happiness, and your radiant smile.”

She took a step back, confusion on her features. Klaus imagined that Silas usually just named his price, that it was usually a bastardized version of his clumsy attempts to romance her. He also imagined that Silas never gave her a choice in these events.

“You don’t believe me.” He stated. “Then my price is this: I want you to lock the doors to your room if they make you feel safer. To know that you have free reign of my home here, that you are safe, that your loved ones are here because they want to be here. That I am not Silas. That I _do_ love you, Caroline.”

* * *

Shortly after Klaus left, Caroline had another visitor.

She was a pretty girl, about sixteen years old, with long dark hair and fierce eyes. “My name is Davina Claire,” she introduced politely. “I’m a French Quarter witch. You don’t know me, but I helped locate you.”

Caroline nodded politely in response. “Thank you. I’m Caroline.”

Davina hesitated for a moment before she said, “Silas can take on the forms of people you know. But you don’t know me. So you know that I’m not Silas.”

When Caroline hesitantly nodded, the man next to Davina said, “I’m Marcel Gerard. I’m a vampire. You also don’t know me, so you also know that I can’t be Silas. I’m also not one of Silas’ witches, although that might be a little harder to prove. But I don’t know Expression, and I highly disapprove of it; it’s not something my coven approves of.”

When Caroline hesitantly nodded again, Davina said, “Just so you know, I don’t like Klaus. At all. But he cares about you. He made a bargain with Marcel and my coven – he agreed to give up New Orleans if we helped find you.”

This was news to Caroline. Klaus did _what_? “But returning to New Orleans was his dream,” she found herself responding faintly.

“And that was how I knew that he changed.” Marcel responded. “Klaus and I have a history. Long story short, I was born a slave. He rescued me and adopted me. He’s kind of like my father. More importantly, he’s family. The fact that you’re pregnant with his kid makes the both of you family. And the fact that he was willing to put you first speaks a lot.”

Davina and Marcel didn’t stay long. They could clearly see that they had given Caroline food for thought, and politely excused themselves.

She didn’t know what to think of these newcomers, the powerful young witch who claimed that she didn’t like Klaus, and the older vampire who claimed him – and her, and her baby – as family.

But they were right – she didn’t know them. Silas wouldn’t take on Marcel’s form – the First Witch had abhorred vampires and didn’t care to recruit them; if Marcel trusted Davina, then Caroline was reasonably certain that the witch couldn’t be one of Silas’, right?

Everyone she’d seen in this house so far seemed convinced that Silas was dead, and that Klaus was Klaus. She might not be sure about Bonnie, but she knew that she wasn’t close to Elijah, and she couldn’t think of any reason why Silas might take on the older Mikaelson’s form.

* * *

The next couple weeks passed slowly. It was getting easier to be in the same room as Bonnie. Caroline hated how much she craved the comfort of familiarity, but at the same time she couldn’t help but hold herself back, whispers in the back of her mind warning her that Silas could still be at work.

But Bonnie hadn’t broken Caroline’s heart.

Klaus had been avoiding her. Every time she came into a room he was in, he would look at her for a moment, eyes filled with worry and concern and hurt, before he inevitably made up some excuse and leave.

She was both floored by his thoughtfulness and flustered by his absence.

The Mikaelson siblings confused her.

Elijah was impossibly polite, always asked how she was doing whenever he saw her and if she needed anything, and never overstepped. He didn’t appear to be perturbed by her lack of conversation; on the contrary, he seemed to enjoy the silences that followed whenever they found themselves in the same room.

Rebekah… was different. She was somehow gentler and kinder, almost like she was walking on eggshells around Caroline. She exhibited mother hen tendencies where the baby vampire was concerned – asking her how she was feeling, if she was eating, and the like. Rebekah kept the kitchen stocked with foods that were conducive to a healthy pregnancy and post-pregnancy, and encouraged Caroline to feed often.

Kol was the only one who treated her like a normal, albeit pregnant, person. He spoke to her the same way he spoke to anyone else, and it was refreshing.

Caroline still preferred to remain in her room most of the time, or she would venture out to the library and curl up in one of the large armchairs.

She was still skittish around people, but she met plenty of new faces: Freya, the oldest of the Mikaelsons, as well as the only living Mikaelson witch; Sophie, another French Quarter witch; Josh, a vampire and a friend of Davina; and Aiden, a werewolf who was dating Josh.

Caroline found a strange sort of comfort in having these new faces around. They helped to anchor her, and a lot of these new faces were rather interesting, and they had interesting stories to share.

Eventually, she decided that she wanted to try to start to settle things with Klaus before the baby arrived.

The first time she went to him, it had been the middle of the night and she was having trouble falling asleep, since it’d been a while since she’d been left alone. Silas had rarely left her alone, especially at nighttime, preferring to sleep next to her.

Klaus was so surprised he actually dropped his paintbrush. And then he was overcome with concern and mild panic, ushering her out of his studio because the paint fumes couldn’t be good for her or the baby. He guided them towards the library, carefully keeping distance between them.

Once she settled down in her favorite armchair, he cautiously sat down a couple seats away from her, offering her a knitted blanket that she accepted. He waited a couple moments before hesitantly asking her how she was.

They ended up spending a couple hours talking. He wanted to know if she was comfortable, if there was anything she wanted or needed. She hesitantly asked about setting up a nursery for the baby, and they spent time talking over the details. The OBGYN had confirmed that the baby was going to be a girl, and Caroline liked the thought of the room being painted mauve with silver accents.

She didn’t realize when she started drowsing off, but she vaguely recalled arms sliding under her back and knees and picking her up, her head cradled into a chest. Then, the sensation of being carried, gently laid down on a comfortable bed, blankets being drawn over her body, and his soft murmur, “Sleep well, sweetheart.”

The last thing she remembered was faint pressure against her forehead before sleep claimed her.

* * *

Caroline woke up in the middle of the night, feeling hot and sweaty. Her legs were damp and sticky, she had cramps. She didn’t think much of it at first, since New Orleans was rather humid this time of year.

But when the cramps varied in painful intensity, she hesitantly found herself knocking quietly on Bonnie’s room.

The Bennett witch opened her door and invited her in, asking if she was feeling alright.

She struggled to describe how she was feeling, and Bonnie grew concerned. An expression crossed her face that she didn’t quite recognize, and when her friend didn’t say anything at first, she hesitantly prompted, “Bonnie?”

Bonnie looked like she was going to respond, but then she glanced over at the floor behind Caroline and her eyebrows furrowed as she said slowly, “Caroline… are you dripping water on the floor?”

Confused, Caroline looked behind her, seeing the small puddles of water that had trailed behind her. “I don’t know? I thought I was just sweating because of the humidity.”

“Caroline,” Bonnie said slowly, “I think you’re going into labor.”

* * *

**_TBC_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Personal update, I made a tumblr! It's under the same username as FFN and AO3: slstmaraudersjple. There, you can find a page with updates on my current WIPs, including WIPs that haven't been published yet!


	3. In Your Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***This was first posted to FFN under the same username.***
> 
> Warning(s): none?
> 
> Here we are…

The baby was a girl.

Bonnie and Davina assisted with the delivery, and the Bennett witch cried when she saw the baby for the first time. “She’s so beautiful, Care.”

Davina nodded her agreement, softly asking, “Have you thought of a name?”

Caroline had.

In the past months, she’d come to terms with the fact that she never got to say goodbye to her mother. She never got to grieve that loss, to heal and to recover.

But… maybe her daughter would give her the chance.

Her daughter was a Forbes, but she was also a Mikaelson, bound to both families by blood. She should know her family.

“Elizabeth Victoria Mikaelson.”

* * *

It hurt him, more than he would ever admit, that Caroline refused to let him see their daughter. But he supposed that she had that right, more than anybody. He ruined everything he touched; it made sense that she would want to keep their daughter away from him.

The justification still didn’t lessen the hurt that came with it.

In actuality, Caroline refused to let anyone else see Lizzie except Bonnie and Davina. She holed up in her room and refused to come out. She had agreed to receive meals in her room; otherwise, she refused to eat.

At first, Klaus thought it might be some sort of maternal nesting instinct. Until Bonnie and Davina cornered him in his studio and sat him down and explained that it wasn’t.

“She’s like… a dragon hoarding its treasure trove.” Davina tried to explain.

“She won’t sleep, she won’t rest, she won’t let Lizzie out of her sight.” Bonnie added.

“What do you expect me to do about it?” Klaus responded gruffly. “I haven’t even _seen_ my daughter.”

The closest that he had come to seeing his daughter was standing or sitting outside Caroline’s door in the middle of the night, listening to the sounds of Lizzie’s soft breathing or her crying. He would spend half the night sitting on the floor listening to the sounds of Caroline and Lizzie breathing as they slept, and he would take a small measure of comfort in the sounds of their hearts beating steadily. He found himself aching to hold them.

It was like they had taken one step forward and two steps back.

“She probably still hasn’t gotten over the whole Silas-threatening-to-kill-her-after-giving-birth while wearing your face thing. She might still be thinking that you’re going to kill her and take Lizzie from her.” The Bennett witch said softly.

“I know.” He responded curtly. He hadn’t forgotten. The problem was, he had no idea how to prove to her that he wasn’t going to kill her, and that all he wanted was to hold Caroline and their daughter.

“You’re Lizzie’s dad.” Davina said. “I don’t like you, but she’s your family. Caroline needs our help.”

“I don’t know how.”

“We might be able to help. But you won’t like it.”

Klaus looked over at the Claire witch. The once Harvest Witch and former member of the French Quarter Coven was currently the Gatekeeper of the Ancestral Magic of New Orleans. She was a powerful witch from one of the oldest witch bloodlines, and she had proven time and time again to be a valuable ally, even if she and Klaus did not get along.

He respected her, grudgingly, and he appreciated everything she had done to help Caroline thus far. Still, he felt the need to warn her, half-heartedly, “If you even _think_ of harming Caroline or Lizzie, I’ll have your heart.”

Davina rolled her eyes in response. “Yes, I’m aware of your obsessive need to account for all possible enemies and to plot vengeance against those who wrong you and your family. Must I remind you that we’ll be family soon enough?” The witch waved her hand at the Original Hybrid, showing off the sparkling engagement ring that glittered on her left ring finger.

“I’d prefer to not be reminded of that.” Klaus grimaced, and he changed the subject by asking, “So what is it that you propose we do?”

“We,” She gestured to herself and the Bennett witch, “need you to give us some blood so we can do a tracking spell. And then we need you to leave for a bit.”

Klaus mulled over her words before he laid out his suspicions, “You hope that Caroline will be more relaxed if I’m not here, and my blood will be proof of where I am.”

Bonnie nodded. “Look, I know that this isn’t ideal. We know that you… won’t do anything to hurt either of them. But it’ll help to remind her that you’re not Silas and that she’s safe. Just let us try.”

He gritted his teeth, his jaw clenched, before he nodded, once. “I will… plan to be out then. How long?”

The witches exchanged a look before Davina said quietly, “At least half a day. We want to see if we can persuade Caroline to rest, but we don’t want to rush her.”

He nodded again. “A day, then. Let me know when I can return. I want her to know that I’m coming.”

The witches nodded, and Bonnie said, “We’ll do that. Maybe you could leave tonight, be back tomorrow night?”

“Very well.”

* * *

When Bonnie first proposed the plan, Caroline hesitated with skepticism. But then Stefan proposed donating his blood as a means of tracking Silas – his distant descendant. It made sense, although she had no desire to see her friend who was the First Witch’s doppelganger. But Bonnie volunteered to go to Mystic Falls with Elijah as an escort, and she found herself hesitantly agreeing.

Bonnie and Elijah left immediately, returning to the Abattoir in the late afternoon. She left Lizzie sleeping in her room and watched, her arms wrapped around herself, as Bonnie poured Stefan’s blood and Klaus’ blood into separate bowls, poured over separate but identical world maps.

Stefan’s blood revealed that he, along with any possible descendants, were either in Mystic Falls or nowhere near New Orleans. Klaus’ blood revealed that he was in New Orleans.

Tears of relief sprang to her eyes when she saw the unmistakable truth of the blood.

“Okay,” she whispered.

Klaus stood at the front door, waiting for Bonnie to perform the spell. His gaze lingered on her, soft but sad. “I’m off then. I’ll be back tomorrow,” he said gruffly.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“Try to get some rest, love.”

Caroline struggled to formulate an appropriate response, but he saved her the trouble as he turned and walked out, gently closing the door behind him.

She felt a pang in her heart at the image of him walking away, but before she could think about it, Davina distracted her by asking, “What do you want to do first?”

Caroline blinked, and the witch said, “Today is Caroline Day. We have a bunch of movies and snacks, and Netflix. We can bring someone to the house to do a spa day. Lizzie will be with Bonnie or me the entire time. You just worry about what you want.”

Beside her, Bonnie waved the two-way baby monitor. “Only Davina or I will respond to this, I promise. Everyone else actually left earlier. They’re going to spend the night out. It’s just the three of us and Lizzie. If anything happens, Klaus and the rest of them are only a phone call away. All we want is for you to try to relax and get some rest.”

Caroline swallowed nervously, blinking away building tears. “I… I’d like that. I know that Klaus isn’t Silas. But every time I see him, I just feel so…”

Davina gently placed a hand over her arm, her expression sympathetic and her voice compassionate as she responded, “We understand. And so does Klaus. That’s why he agreed to leave. Everyone in this household cares about you, Caroline. You don’t have to go through this by yourself.”

Caroline closed her eyes. It was infinitely easier to talk to Bonnie or Davina. Bonnie, her oldest and best friend. Davina, a new and unfamiliar face, but all the same, someone she was drawn to.

She opened her eyes again, looking at her two friends, and said, “I think movies and ice cream and a food coma sound nice. And… Lizzie should know her dad.”

* * *

Caroline was asleep when he came home. Everyone else had scheduled their arrival to stagger over the next couple hours, as to not flood the Abattoir.

Bonnie and Davina met him at the front door, keeping their voices deliberately quiet.

“She’s… doing better.” The Bennett witch offered. “She’s resting right now, but… she said that Lizzie should meet her dad.”

“Here.” Davina said softly, passing him a cloth wrapped bundle.

Lizzie.

Klaus marveled over the small and fragile infant that Caroline delivered into the world.

She was so vulnerable and delicate, easily the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on, with tiny wisps of hair on her head.

“Hello Elizabeth,” he whispered, wide-eyed as he carefully traced a finger down her soft chubby cheeks. She cooed in response, her mouth curved up in a gummy smile, and he said quietly, “I’m your father.”

He didn’t even notice when Bonnie and Davina silently left the room to give him some privacy.

* * *

The sound of whimpering in the middle of the night drew Klaus downstairs from his studio, to the door of Caroline’s room.

He hesitated outside her door, waiting a moment before he knocked and called out quietly, “Sweetheart?”

She didn’t respond, and he heard the sound of sheets rustling as she tossed and turned on her bed.

 _“Klaus,”_ she cried, and he tentatively tried the door handle. It opened – apparently, she’d left it unlocked – and he opened the door, peering into her room. “Sweetheart?” He repeated.

Caroline shot up in her bed with a gasp, her eyes wide and unfocused as she jolted from her restless slumber. Her hands fisted into her blankets and confusion flitted across her face as she sleepily said, “Klaus?”

“You were having a bad dream, love,” he said, hovering by the doorway. He briefly glanced over to the bassinet where Lizzie was sound asleep, before turning his attention back to the young vampire as he hesitantly asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

She looked at him, sleepiness making way for a thoughtful expression on her face, her tongue darting out to sweep along her lower lip before she finally whispered, “I miss you.” She closed her eyes, leaning forward to rest her head on her knees as she brought her arms around her legs.

“I miss you so much,” she sighed, not looking at him. “I know you’re not Silas. I know you won’t hurt Lizzie. But the memories _just won’t go away_. I just keep thinking that…”

She didn’t finish, but he heard her words all the same.

_You’ll hurt me._

He swallowed the lump in his throat, cautiously making his way over to her bed and sitting down next to her, careful to leave some space. She stiffened when she felt his weight settle on the bed, but she didn’t move away from him.

“But I did hurt you all the same,” he responded quietly. “And for that, I truly am sorry, Caroline. All I ever wanted to do was protect you. In my thousand years of existence, you are the absolute best thing that’s ever happened to me – you and Lizzie.”

Caroline was quiet for a moment before she lifted her head to look at him. “Will you… stay? At least for tonight.”

He blinked in disbelief for a moment, caught off guard by her sudden request. He asked, “Are you sure, sweetheart?”

She scooted to the side, making room for him. “I don’t want to be alone.”

Nodding, he shifted over beside her, stretching out over the bed.

“I’m so tired,” She repeated, curling into him. One hand fisted into the sleeve of his shirt, and she tucked her head under his chin.

“Then sleep, love,” he whispered gently, carefully wrapping an arm over her waist. “I’m here. I promise you I’ll be here.”

She didn’t respond, and he carefully held himself still, listening to the sound of her breathing. Slowly but surely, her breathing evened out as her body went limp with slumber.

Klaus didn’t sleep that night, too entranced in listening to the sounds of her and Lizzie’s breathing, hoping to himself that this was a step forward for all of them.

* * *

A couple days later, Bonnie burst into Caroline’s room and announced, “I have an idea to help you.”

Caroline, who was feeding Lizzie, sat and listened as the Bennett witch proposed her plan.

When Bonnie finished, Caroline was quiet for a few moments. Then she said contemplatively, “It sounds like a good idea. But—“

As if sensing her hesitation, Bonnie reminded her, “He’ll be trapped in a containment circle the entire time. Even if he wanted to hurt you, he won’t be able to. We could even cast a spell on him so he can’t talk.”

Caroline bit her lip, closed her eyes, and nodded in agreement. Her best friend reached out to gently squeeze her hand as she said, “Freya and Davina and I will set it up then. I’ll come get you when we’re ready. I really think this will help bring you peace and closure, Care.”

“I hope so too,” the blonde whispered.

“Everything will be alright, Care.” Bonnie said softly, her tone reassuring as she added, “Klaus will be there too. He won’t let anything happen to you. _We_ won’t let anything happen to you.”

Caroline swallowed the nervous lump in her throat. “I’m going to finish feeding Lizzie and put her down for a nap. Can you bring the baby monitor to the room where you’re setting up the spell?”

The Bennett witch nodded, reaching for one of the baby monitors and taking it with her as she left.

Fifteen minutes later, Caroline found herself in the living room. The furniture had been moved aside, and there was a spelled circle in the middle of the room, surrounded by candles and a salt circle.

Bonnie, Davina, and Freya stood equidistant from one another outside the circle. Klaus was leaning against the wall nearby.

The witches began chanting, and the circle lit up with magic as a form began to materialize to reveal a figure with Stefan’s features.

He faced her, blinked at his form became corporeal and he said, “Hello, Caroline. I see that you’ve given birth.”

“Silas,” she whispered, her heart racing. She couldn’t stop the trembling in her body as she involuntarily took a step backwards. She bumped into someone, and she turned to see Klaus standing next to her, one arm around her back. “I’m here, sweetheart. You’re safe,” he said quietly.

She couldn’t help the way her hand fisted into the soft material of his shirt, the way she seemed to draw comfort from his presence. The hard expression on his face softened, and he placed his hand on the small of her back.

She turned back to Silas and said, trying to still the trembling in her voice, “They killed you at the house.”

The First Witch nodded. “It was all me. I’m dead now, as you can see.”

“But why?”

An unusually serious expression overcame Silas as he sat down inside the circle, crossing his legs. “It’s a bit of a story. You’ll have to forgive me when I say that you were never the target.”

“My baby,” she whispered. After a moment, she sat down on the floor outside the circle. She heard rustling behind her, felt Klaus settling down behind her and offering her his support. She couldn’t help the way she leaned back against him, the way he casually slung an arm over her waist.

“The baby was a bonus.” Silas admitted, looking at her.

It took Caroline a moment to realize that he wasn’t looking at her, but behind her.

At Klaus.

“I made a deal.” The First Witch said, his face full of regret. “A bad deal, as I didn’t learn until after I was killed.”

“Esther.” Klaus spat out.

Silas nodded. “I thought that I was helping the Spirits ensure the balance of nature. She used all the right words, but twisted them to her bidding. I foolishly fell for it.”

He fell silent for a moment before he turned his attention back to Caroline and said, “Caroline, I truly am sorry for all the pain I caused you and your family. Once the Spirits made me realize what a threat Esther truly is, I resolved to right things. I can’t go back and change the past, but I _am_ currently working with the Spirits to ensure that Esther can never harm her bloodline again. That includes you and your child.”

Caroline looked at him for a moment before she finally said, “Thank you for your apology.”

Silas nodded and said, “I don’t expect your forgiveness. But I hope that this will give you closure, help you realize that I truly am dead, and that your Klaus truly does care about you.” He hesitated for a moment before he added, “If you or your companions require my aid, your witches know how to contact me from the Other Side. I will do what I can to help.”

Caroline nodded, and the First Witch faded from the containment circle.

She didn’t notice when Klaus silently slipped out of the room.

* * *

_His own mother._

How much more would he have to endure at her hands? How much more would she strive to punish him for _her_ sins?

Her most recent actions as of late were absolutely unforgivable – she had conspired to harm Caroline and Lizzie, the two people he loved most in the world. The two people he would give anything for, including his life.

Hurt, angry, and furious, Klaus left the room as Silas faded.

He barely stepped into the next room when a figure materialized in front of him, a ghostly specter that wasn’t quite solid, but he recognized the form all the same. The figure looked at him and said, “Hello, son.”

“Ansel.”

His biological father looked at him with a sad smile, but he said, “I don’t have much time. Silas departing early allowed me a couple moments to speak with you. I know you’re hurting, Niklaus. But I give you my word that Silas intends to follow through with his words. The witches are working to stop Esther from harming you and your family ever again.”

“Just like that?” Klaus scoffed.

Ansel shrugged. “I don’t speak for the Spirits or the Ancestors. But this is a chance for you, my son. You have the opportunity now to help your girl heal, to see your daughter grow up, and to be a family. This is your chance to choose happiness. You deserve it.”

“In my experience, life rarely is.” He responded quietly.

“It’s time someone looked out for you,” his father simply responded as he faded, and his last words as he vanished were, _“Choose happiness, my son.”_

Klaus closed his eyes, clenched his fists as he fought back tears.

A soft touch on his arm caused him to look up, and his siblings were there. Rebekah, standing closest to him, said nothing as tears fell down her cheeks. She drew him into a hug, and he let her. The expression on Elijah’s face was soft, and Kol looked like he was attempting to blink away tears.

After a moment of silence, the youngest Mikaelson said, “He’s right, you know. You’ve spent a thousand years looking out for us. It’s our turn to look out for you now, Nik. Go and be happy.”

* * *

He found herself standing outside her door that evening.

He could hear her crying from the guest room, could smell the scent of her tears, the lingering traces of fear and hope and confusion.

Klaus wanted to hold her.

He wanted to comfort her, kiss her, beg for her forgiveness.

Most of all, he wanted to tell her that he loved her.

But first, he needed to make things right.

“Sweetheart,” he called softly, quietly knocking on the door. When she didn’t respond, he tried again, “Can I come in?”

There was still no response, and he sighed. “Please, Caroline.”

He heard the sound of footsteps approaching her door, and then the sound of the lock being turned. And then the footsteps moved away.

Accepting the silent invitation, he carefully opened the door, making sure that he didn’t accidentally bump into her.

She was shaking like a leaf as she sat on her bed, staring at him with watery eyes. He took a chance as he gathered her into his arms.

“You said you didn’t love me.” She said softly as she trembled in his hold.

Klaus swallowed, his eyes pooling with hot unshed tears. “I know,” he acknowledged. “I lied. I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I do regret it. I hope you’ll let me make things up to you.”

He meant it – _he would do right by her._

“If we’re going to do this, it’s going to be for real,” she said, her voice quivering. “No more lying to me or hurting me to protect me, no withholding information from me and keeping me in the dark, and no using my feelings against me. You’re not allowed to martyr yourself. Lizzie needs _both_ her parents.”

“I’d rather stake myself than let any harm come to you or our daughter.”

“And it would hurt us more than anything if you didn’t fight for us. I’m still… I still have nightmares of Silas. Of him wearing your face, saying things in your voice. Sometimes I can’t tell the difference between the both of you and it scares me so much, and I hate it Klaus.”

She couldn’t hold back the tears as she continued, “I hate being so scared and sad and heartbroken, thinking that you didn’t care if I lived or died, that you had no feelings for me and that everything was just a game to you. _You hurt me_ , and the only reason that Silas was able to hurt me worse was because _you hurt me first_.”

Her voice was a quiet whisper when she finished, “And in spite of that, I still love you. I just don’t know how to move forward.”

“One day at a time.” He responded quietly.

“What?”

“We move forward, _together_ , one day at a time.” He emphasized, elaborating, “We take things as they come, day by day. I’ll try to comfort you when you have nightmares, and you’ll try to open up to me about them. We’ll talk about things when you’re ready to talk about them. You’ll let me hold you when you cry, come to me when you want hugs or kisses or more. We’ll take care of Lizzie and watch her grow up, together. But that’ll all happen one day at a time.”

She was quiet for a long moment before she finally gave him a small watery smile and echoed, “One day at a time.”

He pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead and he murmured, _“However long it takes.”_

* * *

**_FIN._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for following along this story! This last chapter was a challenge, and I hope I did it justice. On another note, I am currently accepting prompt requests right now! Check out my tumblr (same username) for more details! 


End file.
